AES Kaibab MX 130/200 Rollcall

Who's in for this? 130 or 200? I'm going to do the 130 slightly modified as a 2-day bikepack instead, but hopefully I'll see a few other racers near the start.

This will be my first ride on the Kaibab, so I really want to enjoy the scenery & not ride at night. Perhaps next year I'll attempt the single day push. If anyone else is interested in a similar slower pace shoot me a PM, I wouldn't mind some company.

I'm also considering altering the course a bit, sticking with more AZT. Maybe make the spur trip to the top of the North Kaibab Trail & Lodge inside the park. Skip the east side drop off the rim & subsequent climb to get back near the end of the loop.

I was going to head up Friday after work, hitting the road around 3pm-ish from 48th/Baseline area. Ride Sat/Sun, camp out Sun night and return on Monday (no real timetable for Mon, but not too late b/c of traffic on I-17).

Got the bike all set up and loaded and did a quick 30 mile ride from the house on dirt roads and a little ST. I'm amazed at how well everything worked. Except my suspension fork. It is a RockShox Recon Silver TK. With the load on there and a kind of fat tire in front there was so much fork flex that the tire would sometimes rub on the fork when I pedaled standing up. I swapped it out for the rigid Karate Monkey fork.

John, I received your gpx files. Are you planning to do the 145 mi. route you sent? Still in two days? Where do you plan to camp? I'll be heading up Friday late morning.